Fragile Rock
by lea.cielo
Summary: ...he crushes into bed with closed eyes wishing he hadn’t woken up at all...
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fragile Rock

Author: LeaCielo

Summary: …he crushes into bed with closed eyes wishing he hadn't woken up at all…

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Bones'...

• Fragile Rock •

Wednesday 07.14 AM

He dreams of paradise islands, her soft kisses and gentle caressing, silent whispered words, passionate love-making while the waves slam against their sizzling bodies. Finally he has her. And she perfect. Even more than perfect…

Ringing of his phone startles him from utter perfection he's dreaming. He fights against loads of blankets he's being covered with, struggling hard to reach his phone. Open window sends wave of cold air into his room and he shivers. He reaches out for the phone and quickly wraps himself back into the pile of blankets.

"Booth…" His voice sounds like a squeaky chalk against the board. He clears his throat and cuddle furthers into the covers.

"Booth, it's Caroline." Her voice sounds way too loud in his awakened head so he slightly shifts his phone away from ear. "Your eye-patch guy… he's dead." For a second he has no idea what she's talking about. And then he remembers and closes his eyes, relieve everything's over. "Killed himself last night, one clean shot to his useless coward head."

"Oh, thank God that ended…" Booth rolls on his back and shields his eyes from the annoying sun rays. "Do you need me at the crime scene?"

"Well, it would be nice if you show up, cherie." He rolls his eyes at her sarcasm and he is 100% sure she's smiling into the phone. "You know - authority, paperwork and stuff… I think you get the picture…"

He shifts in his bed, pulling the covers higher almost to his chin, trying to make himself comfortable. A spark of gold on the table catches his attention. His brows furrow and he reaches out for the thing.

Blankets fall down revealing his naked chest.

It's a watch. Bones' Rolex.

Another wave of chill air reaches him, making his skin crawl.

And then it dawns to him.

"You there cherie…?" Voice on the other end of the phone shatters the bubbles in his foggy head.

"Yeah, yeah…" He grasps the dangling watch in his hand and turns his head towards window, craving for a crumble of air to clear hazy mind. "Yeah, I'm… I'm here…"

"Be. At the crime scene. Now. Bye."

Dead tone from his phone transfers into his psyche and for a few minutes that's the only sound he hears. Her watch is still in his hand and blank expression is still on his face. He moves palm over his features and then he runs fingers through the hair. Finally, he crushes into bed with closed eyes, sheets around him jump, wishing he hadn't woken up at all.

~ tbc ~


	2. Chapter 2

• Fragile Rock • : Chapter 02

Author:

AN 01: First of all thanks to all of you who put this fic on alert, I really didn't think it will cause such attention, you really put smile on my face. Thanks a lot! :) Here's the second chapter and I hope you'll enjoy…

AN 02: I forgot to say that I have no beta so all mistakes are mine. I'm human and we make mistakes, especially when your mother tongue is not English…

(*) "Goodbye my love. – this is the translation of the Russian sentence.

~ 24 hour before ~

Tuesday 07.30AM

She squeezes bouquet of white roses in her hand, letting the wind to dry out few tears that roll down her cheek as she gazes at the grave of her mother. Bird on the tree lets out a sound, cutting her thoughts. Swallowing a lump that was standing in her throat since the moment she parked her car in front of the cemetery, Temperance Brennan starts…

"I… I found a picture of you and me yesterday. I forgot I even have it. It was in my book, I'd used it as a book marker…" She chuckles to herself. "'Crime and punishment'. It's… It's been a while since I've read it." She tightens her grip on the roses. "Anyway, I don't remember the event but I think it was taken when I was around five. We're on the swings and I'm wearing my favorite pale-yellow dress and… And you're wearing that blue blouse I'm still keeping hidden in my closet. And we're smiling to the camera…" She bows her head and wipes away few tears that fell. "And we look so happy…" Her voice cracks and she places her hand over her mouth, suffocating a sob.

Deciding it's a good time to go, before she upsets herself even more, Brennan walks over to the cold stone in which her mother's name is engraved. She puts down the white roses she brought and silently whispers 'I miss you'. Soft grass silences her steps as she walks away.

****

08.11 AM

When she strolls through the door of Jeffersonian Institute unnoticeable smile appears on her face. She marches over too-well-known-patterns of the tiles straight to her office, surprised no one approaches her.

Even from far away and through the glass she can see Booth inside, picking through the piles of papers on her desk searching for God-knows-what. He's wearing his usual black suit and something in his moves shows her he's particularly enthusiastic this morning.

"What are you doing here?" She places her hands on her hips and glares at him, amuse by the fact she scared him.

He drops the papers he's holding, making one loud *thump* as the papers land straight on her desk, makes that sweet smile he hopes she'll like and sticks his hands into pockets.

"Nothing. Why?"

She tilts her head and narrows her eyes making him squirm. He keeps ignoring her. She keeps glaring. Finally breaking this childish game, she rushes to her desk where she throws her bag and jacket on the chair and gazes at him.

"Going through some others' people stuff is very rude. In fact, when I was in Peru…"

"Bones!" She stops. "This is a beautiful morning. Don't ruin it with your ancient stories."

"They are not ancient." She half-whispers-half-mumbles this. Biting her lower lip, Brennan looks away and loudly exhales. "Then why are you here?" Her eyes are back on him.

Booth smiles widely, too widely if you ask her, and rounds around her desk so he could face her. He grabs her shoulders.

"I, your faithful partner Special Agent Seeley Booth, am taking you, brilliant forensic anthropologist and dear friend of mine, Temperance Brennan, to breakfast." He points out his thumb in his direction. "My treat."

She scoffs.

"Now what?"

"I can't…" She shakes her head, "I have work to do…" She sits on her chair, squashing her jacket.

"No, you don't. I checked with Cam, she says I can take you…" He pulls her up.

"What about Limbo?" She sits again.

"What about it?" He looks at her strangely.

"There are tons of unidentified bones that need to be identified. And that's my job."

"Come on Bones." He pulls her up again. "I'm sure it can wait for you to have a breakfast with your partner." He starts to leave, leaving her behind.

"Booth, I really can't…" She sits down again and starts to organize her desk.

Booth stops middle track and turns. "They're already dead." He walks up to her again. "I don't know what's the whole point." He pulls her up again. "Come on, I'm starving!"

"First of all…" She raises her hands up. "Let's not treat me like I'm an object. Second of all…" But her mind trails off as he gives her eye-puppy look she hates so much. "Do NOT use puppy eyes on me!" She waves her index finger in front of his face.

"Come on Bones, it's just an hour…" He pouts his lips hoping it'll increase the effect on her.

She rolls her eyes and picks up her jacket. "Fine… But just so you know I'm feeling extremely guilty and because you're the source of my guiltiness you should feel guilty too…"

He starts pulling her towards door. "Yeah, yeah, the guilt is eating me alive."

"And besides it's never one hour…" He closes the office door. "It's always two and sometimes it's even three…"

****

10.24 AM

"Aaaah…" Booth leans back in his chair. "Booth. Seeley Booth is full. Completely full."

Brennan looks up from her plate at him. "What about your desert?"

"You mean that fruit you're eating?" He raises his eyebrows as she stops her fork midway to her lips. Banana falls of it. He chuckles.

"It's a habit…" She puts down her fork. "To steal someone else's food." She shrugs. "If it bothers you –"

"It doesn't bother me…" He cuts her. "It's you. But if it was someone else…" Booth shakes his head in disapproving way.

"You don't like when someone steals your food?" She leans closer to him, surprised he never told her this.

"Of course he doesn't!"

Both, Bones and Booth startle and turn their heads.

"Dad!" Brennan shouts, staring at her father in disbelieving way. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey pumpkin…" Max smiles at his daughter. "Scoop over there, will you?!"

As he sits down on a chair beside her, he reaches out for her fries. "This smells delicious…"

Bones looks at Booth and then back again at her father. "Dad, what are you doing here? And how did you know I was here?"

Max swallows the fries he shoved into his mouth and turns to her. "That sweet friend of yours told me…"

Bones looks at Booth and narrows her eyes. "Angela? How did she know we're here?"

"Angela knows everything…"

"Booth!" She shoots a look at him and he raises his hands in apologizing way. Max is still chewing Brennan's fries, not paying attention to them.

"Dad?" She elbows him. "Again, what are you doing here?"

Max stops chewing and reaches out for Booth's napkin. Booth just gazes at him while Brennan prays to God he doesn't slap his hand away. After he's done he turns to Booth.

"Can I have a moment alone with my daughter?"

Booth nods and stands up to leave but Bones stops him by grabbing his arm. "Wait!" She turns to her father. "Everything you want to say to me he can hear it too. We're… partners. He knows the whole story…"

"Bones…" He places his own hand over hers and gives it a light squeeze. "It's all right. It's probably something personal…" She looks at him again and the way she stares into his eyes makes his heart ache. He wants to take her in his arms and never to let go. She has that lost puppy-eyes that beg him to stay. But he knows that this is something between father and a daughter and as much as he wants he isn't part of that family.

"I'll be outside…" He offers a quick solution for her problem and releases her hand. "I need to call Parker. Our usual daily routine…" He smiles at her before moving his chair and quietly leaves them behind.

Bones exhales and turns to look at Max who has the widest smile she'd ever seen on his face.

"What's with the smile?" She feels skeptical.

"Oh thank God you two finally wrapped things up!"

Skeptical for a reason. "What? What are you talking about?" She takes a sip of her coffee.

"About you and Booth finally getting together…" And she almost spills that same coffee over the table. "He's a good man Temperance. I'm so happy for you."

"What?!" She puts down her cup before all coffee really ended up on the table. "Booth and I are not a couple…"

Max nudges her with his elbow. "Come on Tempe, you can tell your old man."

"What? NO! There's nothing to tell…" She scoffs. "Just so you know we barely even touch each other." She defends herself.

"Oh please and you really expect me to believe in that?!" He pinches her cheek and grabs another fry.

"Dad, I really need to get back to work so…" She tries to stop this whole circus before it gets out of hand. "The reason you're here…"

"Oh, right…" Max stops and turns to Bones. His face changes to deadly serious expression as he stares at her. Brennan feels hairs on the back of her neck stand up underneath his gaze. And for a few seconds that's all he's doing, he just looks at her.

At his daughter, his only daughter, his blood and flesh, genius creature Christine and he created. In his eyes she was still fifteen year old girl with an innocent smile on her face and naïve glint in her eyes. And as he observes her now, he notices that same traces that graced the face of that little girl and he can't help but to smile at her purity.

And once again, he hates himself for doing this to her.

"Honey…" He takes her hands in his. "I'm leaving…"

She pulls out her hands from his grasp and leans closer. "What?!"

She says this little louder then she intends to and an old couple behind them turns to see who is making so much noise. But she doesn't even acknowledge them.

"A friend of mine offered me a job…" He can see she's glad because of that; smile on her face proves him that. Smile that soon will fade away. "In Moscow…"

Her brows furrow and her jaw clenches. "Russia?"

Max happily nods and smiles. "And I accepted."

Sparks that graces her eyes moments ago slowly disappear and you can see she's gradually running out of breath. "But you hate coldness and snow. And you hate wearing hats. And the people… I don't think you'll fit in there."

He wraps his arms around her in a tight hug, stopping her from further rambling. "I made a decision and I'm going." She hugs him back, holding her tears. This is it, there is no coming back and she knows it. She knows the firmness of his word. "It will be like a new start for me… A beginning of a new life."

"You're not gonna work for the mob, are you?" She whispers into his shoulder.

"No. I'm not…" He laughs. "As much as I understood my job involves wood. Or is it wool? But then again Sergey did mentioned furniture…"

Bones rolls her eyes, breaks a hug and returns to her coffee. "So you basically have no idea what your job will be?"

He touches her cheek to gain her attention. "Tempe, I'll be fine. You know me - within a year I'll probably own a small house somewhere in the hills, designed clothes, fancy cars and one nice apartment for my kids to stay when they come to visit dear old dad." Bones smiles. "Well you and Mr. FBI can have a house for the weekend but that's the all time you'll get…"

"Dad, Booth and I are NOT a couple…"

"Yeah, sure, whatever… Anyway one of the reasons why I'm here it's because I wanted to ask you out for dinner tonight. Just you and me. Father and daughter."

"It will be my honor dad…"

"Say seven?"

"Sure…" She nods.

"I'll pick you up at your place and wear something fancy, I want to show off…"

She smiles that weak smile at him and he can see tears in her eyes. Max kisses her cheek then wipes the trace off before whispering into her ear.

"You know I love you right?" She doesn't trust herself to speak so she nods. "This isn't a goodbye you know… Well maybe just a temporary bye…" He moves his chair and stands up.

"до свидания моя любовь " (*)

Brennan rolls her eyes and chuckles. Max leans in to steal another fry but not before he kisses her head. She can hear his footsteps as they move away from her. Sound of a small bell above the door announces he left and she can only bow her head so no one can notice few tears that fell on the table.

Booth just ended his conversation with Parker when the door beside a wall he's leaned opens. It's Max. He puts his hand on Booth's shoulder.

"Take care of her, will you? She needs you more than she thinks she does…"

And before Booth gets any chance to answer him, he's gone He turns and looks through the glass door. Bones' head is bowed. His fists clench. Man, this isn't good. This isn't good at all…

****

18.47 PM

Brennan is having a little trouble with the zipper on her dress. She's standing in front of her mirror desperately trying to zip it. Ringing of her phone on her nightstand saves her from ripping the whole thing off her.

"Yes!" She shouts into the speaker, not caring who's on the other side.

"You OK?"

She sits on her bed and exhales loudly. "Oh, Booth it's you… I'm having trouble with the zipper on my dress and I'm two steps away from throwing it through the window… You need something?"

"No, I just called to see how you're holding…"

She pouts her lips already not liking the reason for his calling. Standing up and bringing her phone with her Brennan marches straight to her bathroom, right in front of her mirror again.

"Of course I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She puts the phone on the shelf and puts Booth on speaker.

"Cause of the whole thing with your dad…" She rolls her eyes. "You know, he's leaving and you're feeling like he's abandoning you again…"

Bones stops digging through her jewelry box. "Have you been talking to Sweets?"

"Of course not!" And of course he lies but she does not need to know that. "It's a private thing… I mean… it's your private thing."

"Booth, thank you for calling but I'm fine." She hooks the dangling earring.

"Really?"

She catches her smile in the mirror. "Really." She hooks the other one to complete her look.

"Really, really?"

"Booth!"

"Sorry. I have to ask. I'm your partner. It's what we do."

Brennan takes the phone with her and walks back into her bedroom. "No, it's what YOU do."

She pulls out from underneath her bed a box and opens a lid revealing her high heeled dark-purple shoes.

"Anyway…" She hears him speaks, after few seconds of silence, as she puts on her shoes. "Can you ring me after you finish dinner? I want to make sure everything is alright. I know how these things affect you." She opens her mouth to protest. "Even though you deny it, they do." Brennan grits her teeth at the phone. "Bones? You there?"

She picks up the phone again. "Yeah, I was just putting on my shoes. Fine, I'll call, don't worry I'll be alright and bye, my dad will be here any second."

"Why do you have to be so aggressive to me when I'm only taking care of you?"

"I'm not aggressive!" She cheeks her watch. 19.03 "I just have to go…"

"Fine, I'll forgive you this time but this time only."

Brennan takes a deep breath. "Just so you know I would have argued with you but considering my dad is at my front door I have to go. BYE!!"

"Have fun, Bones. Call me lat…" But she hangs up before he even gets a chance to finish his sentence. She straightens up, takes a deep breath and walks up to the door.

****

21.34 PM

Booth is stretch out on his couch with fried chicken, bottle of beer and a remote in his hand. Rugby is on. His apartment is in dark and the only light is coming from the TV. From time to time he would yell at the screen. He doesn't like when his team is losing. Especially, if they're losing his money too.

"Oh, COME ON!" He covers his eyes, disbelieving. "IT' A BALL! What's a big deal! You just throw it!" He bites corner of his pillow, silently screaming inside. He's two seconds away to throw the damn TV right out the window into the silent night.

A soft knock on his front door saves the life of a TV. He turns the volume down and stands still. Mrs. Napery already warned him… Twice. First, it was the phone. Second time she knocked. As for the next time, or precisely this time, she said it would be police. Booth silently cursed her.

Another knock.

Booth turns on his lamp and at the tip of his toes walks to the door and looks through the peep-hole. He loudly exhales and unlocks it.

Instead of a gentle smile he offers to her, he gets a book that is shoved in his ribs.

"Hold this…"

She walks right pass him in direction of his living room.

"Well, hello to you too Bones." He closes front door as silently as he can and follows her.

"I need a drink." She marches straight to his bar and grabs the first thing she sees. "Wine. Good."

She looks through his glasses as he gazes into her. Things definitely didn't go well.

"You don't have fancy wine glasses." Brennan looks up at him and tilts her head. "Why don't you have fancy wine glasses?"

Booth winces at her words. "I do have fancy wine glasses. It's just they're in the kitchen. For special occasions!"

She rushes past him. "This is a special occasion. I'm gonna get drank!" She starts to search through his cabinets, looking for glasses.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…"Booth stops in front of her. "Wait. Why?"

She shifts from one foot to another. "Cause I'm celebrating…" And she pushes him out of her way and continues her search. "My father is leaving and I'm celebrating!"

He leans with his hip against the counter, still holding a book she gave him. "So it does bother you after all…?" This sounds more like a statement then like a question.

Brennan slams the small door of a cabinet so loud that Booth is 100% sure he's gonna get another visit from Mrs. Napery.

"No, it doesn't. I'm fine." She looks straight into his eyes. "Now give me a glass."

Realizing there is no point of arguing with her, Booth rolls his eyes and hands her the book. "Hold this… And what the hell is that?"

"It's a present from Max…"

Booth turns to look at her. "He gave you a book?! Now I completely understand why you want to get drunk…"

Brennan scoffs and accepts a glass he's offering to her. "No! It's a photo album!" She, again, shoves album at him and goes straight to his living room.

Booth listens as her high heeled shoes ring through his silent apartment. He leans against the wall to watch her as she pours herself a full glass of wine, then goes to his open window and leans against it, her back to him. He hears a worried sigh coming from her lips and he knows she's fighting with emotions.

He lets her have a few minutes of silence to gather her composure, to find her internal peace and while she stares into the cold night he goes through her family album, page by page, picture by picture, and he can't help but to smile at the photographs, at the events that marked her long forgotten past.

After a while she turns, he hears as her watch clings against the metal rim. He looks up at her and she gently smiles at him.

"Thank you…" She raises glass, wine in it is intact. "For the fancy glass."

He gets her message.

"Well, the glass is always here…"

And she, of course, gets his message.

He holds her gaze, their souls connecting in their own special way. Picture or in this case sight is worth more than thousands of words. He watches her, the way she's slowly absorbing his sentence, its true meaning, promise and a hope and he can't describe her. Well, at least not in words.

"Hey!", he breaks the moment, too scared she'll read his true feelings in his eyes. "How 'bout you come here and introduce me to the world of Brennan's family photo album?"

Bones rolls her eyes but still accepts his invitation. She sits on the couch beside him, leaning forward only for a second to place her watch on the coffee table.

Booth turns a page and laughs loudly.

"Whoa! Look at this!" He widely smiles at her. "It's naked Bones! This one is priceless!" She tries to grab the album from his lap after she nudges him in the ribs, but he won't let her have it. "I think you should put this one back on the cover of your book instead of the one you already have. It will blow the sale!!"

She struggles against the tight grip he has on the album. "Give me that…" She's visibly blushing now and lamp behind his couch is not helping at all in hiding her embarrassment.

"Oh come on Bones! This is sharing!" They still fight over the album.

"I don't remember you showing me any naked pictures of yourself when you were a kid!" She nudges him once again in the ribs.

"That's because it will be embarrassing!"

She stops and turns to him. "And this is not embarrassing?!"

"Not for me…" She pinches his shoulder after she sees his huge smile. "Ouch! Don't pinch me!"

"Give me the album Booth!" Bones finally takes the album from his lap and turns the page. "We're moving on…"

Booth leans closer to her. "Just so you know, you're not the only one who has those pictures." She turns to look at him. "I think I have dozens of them too… Parker has them as well."

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath "Can we not talk about our naked pictures any more please? I'm getting chills…"

He chuckles at her statement. "Sure…" He points at the album again. "Would you rather talk about Russ' naked pictures?"

She looks at the album again and groans, closing it. "Don't say a word!"

"What?! Why?!" He watches as she places it on the floor and then leans back against the soft cushions of his couch, exhaling loudly. Few moments pass before she makes a move. She's too silent, lost in her own thoughts. But when she opens her eyes, she looks at him. And he's gazing at her.

"What?" Her brows furrow.

"You have your mother's eyes…" His words are so silent, only meant for her to hear.

She scoffs at his sentence. "No, I don't."

Booth rolls his eyes at her. "I didn't mean the color. I meant the shape, the stare…"

"The stare? What that suppose to mean?"

"Your look! The way your eyes sparkle when you're happy and you may not see it but right here…", his hand reaches out and touches corner of her eye. "…right here a barely visible line appears. And when you're angry, your eyes get dark and wide. And when you're sad, it's like your eyes are shining out all the sorrow you're feeling in that moment." His words are whispers.

"And looking at your photo album, your mother's eyes were shining out the same emotions." He smiles at her.

And she's still speechless.

"I never told you this but I can read your emotions through your eyes. I don't need your words. All I need is a look and I can tell how you feel."

It takes him two seconds after she pressed her lips against his to realize that she's kissing him. Light, simple moves of her lips against his. Pure, innocent nudges. He follows her act, repeating her moves, mingling his breath with hers. Her cold palms rest on his cheeks as she slowly deepens the kiss. And again he follows her lead. They tumble back on the couch, he covering her. Their lips still sealed in a hungry kiss. As she pulls up his shirt he breaks contact and looks into her eyes. He seeks approval. A permission.

Spark of desire flashes in them as she smiles brilliantly at him, his heart almost skipping a beat. And just like always her eyes tells him everything he wants to know so he leans in and steals another bruising kiss from her lips.

~ tbc ~

* * *

(*) "Goodbye my love. – This is the translation of the Russian sentence.


	3. Chapter 3

• Fragile Rock • : Chapter 03

Author: LeaCielo

AN 01: This is the third and the last part of the fic. I don't know why but I'm very proud of this chapter, I think it has some depth in it. I know! – I'm rambling… Anyway, I wanted to publish this whole thing like a one-shot but then I thought that maybe it is better to cut it into three chapters because it would be waaaay too long fic. I like to think that was a good decision… :)

AN 02: Once again, thanks to all of you who put this fic on alert I hope it was worth it… :] And special thanks to NatesMama and RowdyRomantic for their reviews! You made my lousy-snowy-day! :] All mistakes are mine… Enjoy…

Wednesday 08.03 AM

She watches restless ocean in front of her, boats and seagulls, sunny morning with just a hint of fog. She breathes fresh air as the chilly wind plays with few loose strands that fell out of her pony tail.

It's cold but not too cold.

She's invisible to the rest of the world, just another soul that searches comfort in the usually peaceful ocean. But today ocean reflects her own feelings, battle of emotions that fight within her. She's not gonna cry. She taught herself long ago to keep tears inside, to suffer inside.

Her stone cold face shows no emotions, her eyes are empty, and her lips are sealed but only she knows what is like to be Temperance Brennan right now.

She doesn't show any reaction as he takes a seat beside her, her eyes are glued to that beautiful seagull that bath itself in the few rays of light. She doesn't even look at him as he handles her warm cup of coffee, their fingers brushing slightly. She doesn't speak. Neither does he, and she's very grateful for that.

Silence.

He feels her tension, her internal battle, even though he's sitting at the other end of the bench. This silence that fells between them is slowly killing him. It's too long for his liking. But he also knows that she needs time. And right now, he's giving her all the time in the world.

"There wasn't a single part in my life so far that, at least for a second, looked like a fairytale…," her words cut the quietness and startles him. "So… I gave up dreaming and taught myself how to face reality without giving myself false hopes. Whoever tried to help – I refuse because in my head that would look like a weakness. And attachment. And I swore to myself that I'll NEVER… be attached… to anyone." She stops for a second to swallow that lump in her throat. "Cause people leave."

He watches as she gathers all of her strength to continue. Her eyes are still looking forward and her face is still stone cold. Usual Temperance Brennan posture. Sometimes it's hard to be her.

"Then I met you and you shattered all of my believes. And before I knew I… I let you in way too deep and that scared me to death. And when I woke up this morning…" Her voice trembles and she bows her head. He can see she's slowly cracking, inch by inch. Her layers finally falling off, revealing her, true Temperance Brennan, completely.

When she looks up it's straight into his eyes that already gaze at her, tears and that sorrow she's been hiding so well completely visible in them. "And when I woke up this morning and saw you, sleeping so peacefully with your arms around me I couldn't help but to smile and to think that this moment is truly a fairytale. And then… that dark side of me clouded over and all I can think of is that you'll leave too and I'll be, again, Temperance Brennan a 15-year old who has no one."

She frantically tries to wipe away the tears that roll down her cheeks. Everything she's been suppressing flew out, leaving her incapable to react rationally. She doesn't even realize that Booth pulled her into a hug, not until he presses his cold cheek against her forehead.

"Bones…", he gently whispers into her ear, "I thought you realized by now that I'm not going anywhere."

And that is all it takes for her to completely break down. And just like always he's there to catch her. In those moments he's her strength, her peace and her salvation. He's the cure who will heal her wounds. Voice of sanity. Glue that will mend her shattered heart.

When the storm passes she's left silent in his arms. Chilly wind blows across their faces, her loose strands tickle his neck but he doesn't say a thing. The place looks much more crowded then it did when he came but that's the last thing on their minds. They're both looking at the ocean, now completely peaceful and shiny, wrap in their own thoughts but neither one of them knows they're thinking about the same things.

"I'm in a mood for warm cup of coffee and those blueberry bagels…" She cuts the silence with her half whispered words.

"Yeaaah, that sounds very tempting…"

He gently kisses her hair. She sniffs and sinks deeper into his embrace. He squeezes her hand before he stands up brining her up with him. With a smile on his face, he hands her a cup of now already cold coffee as he looks deep into her eyes.

Eyes are mirrors of the soul and right now her soul is shining out traces of sadness, hope and love. His smile grows wider.

She looks at him funny before accepting the coffee cup and smiling in return. Then, she closes the distance between them, rises at the tip of her toes and kisses him chastely. When she pulls back smile on her face fascinates him. He's dazzle by it. He's dazzle by her. Completely. 110%.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pushes her gently towards the car. She leans into him and lets him guide her. After a long time it feels good to just be a girl, to let a man beside you to shield you, to protect you.

"So, warm cup of coffee ha?"

And when she looks up at him he sees that barely visible line in the corner of her eyes and suddenly everything does not look so scary anymore. Sure, they have a lot to talk about and he's positive she'll need more time but right now he tries not to think about those things. Right now he just wants to enjoy in a morning cup of coffee and in shared blueberry bagel. There is no need to rush things…

Maybe after all this is going to be a beautiful day.

~ tHe EnD ~


End file.
